Article page checkbox is not checked in page info.
EU ports strategy and EU industrial maritime strategy: Regional, transport and connectivity aspects
EU ports strategy and EU industrial maritime strategy Regional, transport and connectivity aspects
Mathias Gullentops and Linda Kohl, Members' Research Service
Summary
Every year, Europe's ports move roughly three-quarters of all goods that enter or leave the EU, and handle close to 400 million passengers, making them indispensable gateways for trade. On 17 January 2024, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the European Commission to deliver a comprehensive EU ports strategy.
In March 2026, the Commission published the EU ports strategy and the EU industrial maritime strategy.
The ports strategy is built around five pillars – competitiveness, energy transition, security and resilience, access to finance, and social cohesion – and stresses the importance of stronger hinterland connections.
The EU industrial maritime strategy defines six pillars for the maritime sector, focusing, in particular, on the EU industrial base, transport and connectivity, security and defence, innovation, investment and skills. It proposes measures to enhance the attractiveness of Member States' flags, revise relevant EU legislation, improve data interconnectivity, facilitate free trade agreements, and make research and innovation infrastructure and financing available in the field of waterborne transport.
Together, the two blueprints aim to make Europe's ports and shipping greener, safer and more competitive, while improving working conditions in the sector and social cohesion.
Introduction
EU ports handle more than 3.4 billion tonnes of goods, or 74 % of goods entering or leaving Europe, and around 395 million passengers each year. With almost 3 million port calls per year, the EU accounts for 23 % of the port calls worldwide. Their economic footprint reached a turnover of around €90 billion in 2022 and around 423 000 direct jobs. The trans-European transport network (TEN-T) is based on 283 seaports, 223 inland ports and 44 mixed ports. Port actors include port authorities, terminal operators, tug operators, maritime pilots, and bunkering and port reception facility providers, offering services to shipping and logistic companies and other stakeholders.
On 17 January 2024, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on building a comprehensive European ports strategy, addressing the dual reality of EU ports: on the one hand, they are economic gateways and vital hubs for the energy transition, and on the other, they face severe risks from foreign geopolitical influence, cybersecurity gaps, and unfair competition. Parliament called on the European Commission to present a comprehensive European ports strategy addressing the aforementioned issues by the end of 2024.
In its communication on the EU ports strategy, published in March 2026, the Commission aims to reinforce European ports as vital infrastructure pillars for the EU's economy, energy independence, and strategic autonomy. The strategy centres on five main thematic areas:
-
competitiveness
-
energy transition
-
security and resilience
-
access to finance and investment
-
social cohesion.
EU ports strategy
Competitiveness
Uneven legal frameworks (for environmental, social and other aspects) and aggressive investment strategies are major concerns for competitiveness, notably the risk of traffic diversion to non-EU transhipment ports.
On strengthening competitiveness, the Commission promises to develop guidance for Member States for assessing foreign investments in line with the EU's international commitments. It says it will establish thresholds and criteria for foreign influence, such as influence on strategic decisions, control of operations and dependency on high-risk suppliers of equipment. A framework for mapping and monitoring foreign investments in EU ports will follow. In particular, dual-use port infrastructure should undergo a thorough assessment by Member States to mitigate risks of foreign ownership, operational control and equipment from high-risk suppliers. Member States should ensure the possibility of gaining temporary public control or right of use of strategic dual-use infrastructure, assets or equipment under national law.
The strategy envisages the following deliverables.
-
The Commission will support innovation in EU ports through Horizon Europe initiatives such as the €21 million flagship topic 'Ports of the future: Zero-emission waterborne transport partnership' and through workshops and technical assistance such as BlueInvest.
-
The Commission will review the EU's merger guidelines with a view to providing clear and updated guidance on the application of EU merger rules. Existing guidelines are set out in Box 1.
Box 1 – Guidance for assessing port investments
Decision (EU) 2025/2630 on Services of General Economic Interest (SGEI) allows Member States to support more efficiently smaller ports across islands, coastal and outermost regions.
The General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER, Commission Regulation (EU) 651/2014) sets out conditions that allow Member States to give public aid to a wide range of projects and activities, including regional aid and aid for ports, without having to request prior permission from the Commission.
State aid Land and Multimodal Transport Guidelines (LMTG) set out the conditions under which State aid subject to prior notification under Article 108(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU may be declared compatible with the internal market.
The State aid Transport Block Exemption Regulation (TBER) complements the LMTG by exempting certain categories of aid in the rail, inland waterways and sustainable multimodal transport sectors from the requirement of prior notification to and approval by the Commission.
Energy transition
The Commission supports the further electrification of ports through synergies between TEN-T and the trans-European networks for energy (TEN-E), the further deployment of onshore power supply, and the forthcoming offshore network development plans. In the forthcoming electrification action plan, the Commission is expected to introduce new measures to support port electrification.
The ports strategy also mentions speeding up connections to the grid for viable projects, and addressing best practice for sequencing grid build-out.
The Commission will consider how to promote the availability of sustainable fuels in ports. The Fuel EU Maritime Regulation and the measures promoted in the EU industrial maritime strategy examine the demand aspect. For the supply side, the forthcoming revision of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) will consider measures to accelerate the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure for shipping. FuelEU Maritime aims to push the decarbonisation of the maritime sector, defining rules for the gradual decrease of the greenhouse gas intensity of fuels in the shipping sector, as well as for the use of on-shore power for electricity. AFIR sets a number of mandatory national targets for the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure in the EU. Both regulations are part of the EU's 'fit for 55' package of measures designed to deliver the European Green Deal.
Member States are strongly encouraged to allocate a part of emissions trading system (ETS) revenues to maritime decarbonisation investments. By the end of 2026, there will be an assessment of infrastructure capacity and future needs for the supply of renewable and low-carbon fuels in and to ports. To accelerate the adoption of clean hydrogen in ports, the Commission will order a study in 2026 (Box 2).
Box 2 – Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking
The Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking supports the Commission in advancing the decarbonisation of Europe's ports and maritime sector through a broad portfolio of EU-funded projects.
-
Convey, BalticSeaH2, Trieres and NAH V demonstrate how hydrogen production, distribution and end use can be integrated within port environments.
-
Flagships, RH2IWER, Hyship and Maranda are demonstrating hydrogen propulsion technologies for short-sea and inland maritime transport.
-
DelHyVEHR and Elvhys are developing technologies for liquid hydrogen bunkering.
-
NicolHY, LH2Craft and NAVHYS are advancing hydrogen storage tanks for both bulk transport and onboard use.
-
H2Marine and MiNaMi are developing multi-megawatt proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems for maritime applications.
-
E-SHyIPS and HyLAW are contributing to the development of regulations, codes and standards, helping to create the regulatory framework needed for safe hydrogen deployment in maritime environments.
In the area of environmental protection, the Commission intends to simplify the regulatory burden, revise the Taxonomy Climate Delegated Act, and accelerate environmental assessments. The RESourceEU action plan will support ports in becoming strategic hubs for circular activities.
Security and resilience
To ensure security of ports, the Commission will work with the Member States towards updated international guidance within the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and in 2026 will present an EU anti-corruption strategy to tackle criminal infiltration. To this end, the Commission will propose an EU framework for background checks for port workers, extend security efforts to inland ports, and publish best practice to prevent drug trafficking.
The Commission, together with the European External Action Service, will perform targeted assessments of high risk third-country ports to tackle criminal infiltration already at departing non-EU ports. Information will be exchanged between customs and maritime logistics companies on drug trafficking and illicit trade. A European integrated framework for climate resilience will be put forward in 2026 to support Member States on preparedness and resilience planning. The proposed European competitiveness fund should address jamming and spoofing in the Baltic, Black and Mediterranean seas and avoid collisions at sea or in ports.
The Commission is calling on ports to develop their own climate resilience plans to counter environmental degradation (such as sea level rise, coastal storms, droughts, floods and saline intrusion). The exchange of best practice on climate resilience action in ports will be facilitated within the European maritime space.
To guarantee security, the Commission also relies on Member States to align customs controls across EU ports; implement robust sanitary and phytosanitary measures in ports; adopt best practice to combat organised crime and corruption; include ports when implementing the Directive on the resilience of critical entities (CER Directive), prioritise interoperability of ports within the EU rail system; prioritise the achievement of a 'good navigation status' by 2030 for inland waterways; optimise the storage of critical goods; protect and strengthen critical infrastructure; and absorb disturbances in the logistics chain.
Moreover, the Commission will support research and development initiatives to secure data exchanges and data storage for ports and stakeholders along multimodal logistics chains.
The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) published guidelines on cyber risk management for ports. The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) released guidance on how to address cybersecurity onboard ships during audits, controls, verifications and inspections. The Commission will conduct a Union-level coordinated cybersecurity risk assessment on ports, to identify cybersecurity risks and recommend mitigation measures.
Access to finance and investment
The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) forecasts €80 billion in investment needs of European port managing bodies for the next 10 years.
Under the next multiannual financial framework for the years 2028 to 2034, investments in ports can be supported by the proposed European competitiveness fund, the Connecting Europe Facility 2028-2034 (€51.5 billion for transport and €29.9 billion for energy), Horizon Europe 2028-2034, and national and regional partnership plans. The I nnovation Fun d, financed by the EU ETS, will open a dedicated maritime call in 2027.
Principles for funding for EU ports and for supporting projects in third countries are set out in the annexes to the communication.
Social cohesion
The Commission encourages the social partners to establish a dedicated skills partnership for the ports sector. The maritime industry is invited to cooperate with the large-scale partnership for the digital ecosystem in the pact for skills, to submit pledges under the Cybersecurity Skills Academy, and to use the European Cybersecurity Skills Framework (ECSF) tool for port professionals.
The revised Directive on investigation of accidents in the maritime transport (Directive (EU) 2024/3017) has clarified the application of maritime transport accident investigation rules relating to port workers on board of ships. The Commission will prepare guidance on the application of maritime safety legislation to port workers on board ships, as well as guidance and training material on safe handling of alternative fuels in ports.
Regional dimension
Regional economic effects
Ports are lifelines for islands, arctic, coastal and outermost regions. As the ports strategy notes, ports can function as connectors. They can be vital enablers for the economic development, resilience, and social and territorial cohesion of those regions and the 20 million EU citizens living there. Industrial development may result in competition for space and a negative environmental impact in densely populated areas.
The port, as an economic entity, has been described by many authors1 as a focal point of regional growth that encourages the development of transport and facilitates the progress of international trade. Bottasso et al.2 researched the connection between seaports and regional gross domestic product (GDP). The results indicate that ports tend to increase GDP in the area where they are located. They also show that there are large and positive spillover effects on the GDP of nearby regions. Economic expansion in non-port regions may also generate greater demand for port services in port regions.
In the ports strategy, the Commission announces that policy measures will be developed to strengthen the economic, environmental and social contributions of ports to local communities in the framework of the forthcoming communications on the coastal communities strategy and the island strategy. The coastal communities strategy is intended to further support the competitiveness and diversification of coastal regions. Coastal areas face particular challenges, as set out in Box 3.
Box 3 – Coastal areas
Coastal areas are at the highest risk of climate change, facing rising sea levels, extreme weather events, coastal erosion, flooding, salt intrusion and the depletion of biodiversity, including fish stocks. Many coastal communities struggle with social pressures such as housing shortages, overtourism, lack of essential services and connectivity issues. Remote coastal areas and coastal communities on small islands, in particular, experience distinct challenges owing to their small population and geography, which have an impact on their capacity for sustainable growth and resilience.
The ports strategy gives specific attention to small and medium-sized ports. They support coastal communities, connectivity and territorial cohesion, while linking regional economies and contributing to EU priorities at local and regional level. The Commission therefore proposes a new roadmap for competitive small and medium-sized ports.
It will request the European Investment Bank Advisory to deliver capacity building support specifically for small and medium-sized TEN-T ports. Furthermore, national promotional banks and institutions and private financial stakeholders will help identify additional financing solutions.
Port–city interface
The port–city interface presents several distinct challenges, as shown in Table 1, each of which may require specific policy responses.3 Conflicting views on land use can be addressed through port relocation and the redevelopment of former port land. Environmental impacts from port activity can be mitigated through information, regulation, incentives, and the adoption of clean technologies, while urban congestion can be reduced through port gate policies,4 dedicated freight routes, and the development of dry ports or inland distribution centres. At the same time, policies that support industrial development, maritime clusters, and waterfront renewal can help create local economic benefits for cities and regions.
| Type | Challenge | Policies |
|---|---|---|
| Land use | Resolve conflicting views on using land | Port relocation, redevelopment of old port land |
| Environment | Mitigate environmental impacts of ports on cities | Information, regulation, incentives, clean technologies |
| Traffic | Reduce impact of port traffic on urban congestion | Port gate policies, dedicated freight routes, dry ports |
| Economy | Create local benefits of ports for cities | Industrial development, maritime clusters, waterfronts |
Source: O. Merk, 'The Port–City Interface' (Chapter 6), in H. Geerlings, B. Kuipers and R. Zuidwijk (eds), Ports and Networks, Routledge, 2017, p. 92 (adaptation of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2014).
The Commission says it will strengthen dialogues and support the development of best practice and guidance on enhancing port–city relations through the Horizon Europe EU Missions Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities and Restore our Ocean and Waters; the European Ocean Pact; the coastal communities strategy; and the source-to-sea angle of the water resilience strategy.
Hinterland connectivity
The ports strategy focuses on improved hinterland connections, with the European Coordinator for the European Maritime Space (EMS) tasked with facilitating hinterland connectivity together with other European Transport Corridor Coordinators. The ports strategy emphasises the positive effect improved rail and inland waterway connections can have on shorter transit times, lower transport costs and supply chain efficiency.
Maritime connectivity is increasingly constrained by terminal productivity and hinterland links, not sea access alone. Inefficient rail and inland waterway connections, combined with larger vessels and limited space, hinder operations. The Commission aims to strengthen hinterland links to reduce transit times and costs, improve supply chains, and support trade within the EU and with partners.
Moreover, the Commission will continue to support territorial cohesion and the connectivity of islands and outermost regions, notably the ones with demographic challenges, through cohesion policy funding and the Connecting Europe Facility for Transport (CEF-T), and invites Member States to support improvements on islands, in remote and outermost regions.
One of the specific objectives of the national and regional partnership plans includes measures enhancing EU transport infrastructure and contributing to the completion of the TEN-T, while decarbonising and improving connectivity, security and accessibility for remote, peripheral and less connected areas. With the available funds, Member States and regions will be able, depending on local needs and circumstances, to promote the development of their ports.
Stakeholder opinions
The European Ports Forum (EPF) expert group provided continuous structured feedback on the development of the EU ports strategy.
The Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee (SSDC) for Ports gave social partners an opportunity to provide input for the strategy, in particular, on the social aspect, including working conditions, skills, security awareness and workforce protection. These discussions highlighted the importance of treating workers as key partners in ensuring safe, resilient and competitive ports.
The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) underlined their role as critical infrastructure increasingly tasked with non-traditional public responsibilities, such as supporting the energy transition and military mobility. Concerns were raised regarding the implementation of onshore power supply, grid capacity constraints, funding needs, lengthy permitting procedures, geopolitical risks and cybersecurity challenges. Participants of the annual conference also stressed the need to consider different port segments, peripheral and outermost regions, and the potential of port clusters.
The Commission published a call for evidence on the EU ports strategy. Their content was analysed and taken into account as part of the broader consultation process.
EU industrial maritime strategy – Transport and connectivity aspects
Maritime transport is facing several ch allenges, including the need for decarbonisation and sustainability efforts, evolving safety requirements, a more complex geopolitical context and maritime security environment, and developments in the areas of information exchange and digitalisation. Against this backdrop – and considering the significance of the EU maritime sector for Europe's autonomy, economy, energy supply and defence – the Commission published a communication on the EU industrial maritime strategy in March 2026, alongside the EU ports strategy.
The strategy's six pillars
The EU industrial maritime strategy defines the following six pillars for the next course of action.
A need to build, equip and repair in the maritime manufacturing sector is identified as the first pillar. The strategy sets ambitious goals for the supply or retrofitting of sustainable and digitalised vessels, and highlights the importance of modernising the EU maritime production base, with a view to establishing smart and clean solutions. Public procurement is to be leveraged to foster demand. The Commission says it will continue to work towards a globally level playing field. Recycling capacity and circularity are also pinpointed as areas for further action.
Under the second pillar – transport and connect – maritime transport is identified as a key sector, accounting for three quarters of the EU's external trade and nearly one third of intra-EU freight. The strategy stresses that the sector's competitiveness needs to be maintained while upholding high safety standards and increasing the attractiveness of EU flags. It highlights the importance of decarbonisation in the maritime sector, noting that energy efficiency, as well as new technologies and alternative fuels, are necessary to this end. Safety is essential and standards must keep pace with technological developments. Moreover, the strategy identifies the 'shadow-fleet' as a security risk requiring stronger enforcement of the rules in place. It considers the simplification of administrative procedures a possible way to increase overall efficiency, and highlights the importance of international partnerships, given the international dimension of shipping.
The third pillar refers to the need for the maritime domain to secure and protect by supporting defence, Arctic security, critical infrastructure protection and military mobility. The strategy underlines that production of dual-use (civilian and military) goods could hold growth potential for the sector, and that EU financing programmes can support capacity build-up. Situational awareness, dual-use goods and cybersecurity are considered crucial areas for action.
Under the fourth pillar, key actions relate to enabling access to innovation, in particular in the field of clean technologies, as well as the promotion of an adequate framework.
On the fifth pillar – access to finance and invest ment – the strategy points out that financing needs linked to the forthcoming decarbonisation and other investments are to be met with adequate support, in particular through EU instruments and ETS revenues.
The sixth pillar covers access to skills and quality jobs. It highlights that development in the sector also requires a skilled workforce, with up- and reskilling becoming necessary because of changes in both the nature of work and the workforce. Moreover, it is vital for the sector to be able to attract skilled workers.
Transport and connectivity
The annex to the strategy contains concrete measures for action under the different pillars. In the field of transport and connectivity, these include the establishment of a structured cooperation dialogue with Member States and industry stakeholders to enhance the attractiveness of Member States' flags; the establishment of a European network of green shipping lanes and hubs; and the preparation of the review of the EU Passenger Ship Safety Directive and the Marine Equipment Directive. Moreover, interconnectivity between the Maritime National Single Windows and the future customs data hub is to be supported, as is the intensification of partnerships within and beyond the IMO. The Commission also intends to include commitments in the field of international maritime transport services in free trade agreements, and to create the conditions for Member States to declare existing bilateral agreements compatible with EU law, and to draft new agreements in the interest of the EU. Additionally, the Commission plans a follow-up proposal to the NAIADES III action plan for the inland waterways sector.
The Commission seeks to continue fostering innovation, e.g. by amending the Non-Road Mobile Machinery Regulation to allow hydrogen as reference fuel in inland navigation vessels, and by developing a framework for unmanned shipping solutions. The Commission also plans to map research and innovation (R&I) infrastructure in the field of waterborne transport, and to support EU maritime start-ups, scale-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-caps developing technologies and solutions in accessing them via the EU strategy on research and technology infrastructures, allocating €184.5 million to finance R&I actions for waterborne transport until 2027. Investment aid measures for inland navigation vessels' fleet renewal and the installation of cranes on board of inland vessels are planned to be facilitated under the Land and Multimodal Transport Guidelines and new Transport Block Exemption Regulation (see also Box 1). Investments through national and regional partnership plans under the new MFF proposal can be supported in line with the objectives of this strategy.
Parliament's position
The European Parliament has adopted several resolutions on the maritime sector, including on the Atlantic maritime strategy; more efficient and cleaner maritime transport; the use of renewable and low-carbon fuels in maritime transport; and the implementation of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive.In its previously mentioned January 2024 resolution on a comprehensive European port strategy, it urged the Commission to define an ambitious European industrial maritime strategy. Parliament has also welcomed the objective of the European Ocean Pact, which was adopted in June 2025 and includes the announcement of an industrial maritime strategy, to develop an integrated strategy uniting maritime policies and building coherence across sectors.
Stakeholder opinions
In April 2025, before the EU industrial maritime strategy was published, the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) and SEA Europe, the shipyards' and maritime equipment association, had called for an ambitious European industrial maritime strategy, stressing the maritime industry's economic value and its role regarding energy security, geopolitical influence and the green and digital transformations. The published strategy was received positively by the European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA), who notes that it recognises the sector's strategic importance. The European Transport Workers' Federation welcomed the strategy in principle, while highlighting that the EU can do more for socially sustainable shipping.
Further reading
- Xiaoxue, M., Kuipers, B. and van der Putten, F.-P., Port politics: Strategic autonomy and European ports: A case study on Chinese involvement, Clingendael Institute, 2024.
- Coalition of seven European Countries against organised crime, Non-paper on an effective EU Ports Alliance and EU Ports Strategy to tackle organised crime by the Coalition of European Countries against Organised Crime, 2025.
- European Maritime Safety Agency, EMSA Outlook 2026, 2026.
Endnotes
Statement on the use of AI
Any AI-generated content in this briefing has been reviewed by the authors. The European Parliament's in-house AI tool EP GenAI Hub was used to generate the promotional text, snippet, abstract and summary.
Disclaimer
This document is prepared for, and addressed to, the Members and staff of the European Parliament as background material to assist them in their parliamentary work. The content of the document is the sole responsibility of its author(s) and any opinions expressed herein should not be taken to represent an official position of the Parliament.
Copyright
© European Union.
The reuse of this document is authorised under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY 4.0) licence.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en
To use or reproduce elements that are not owned by the European Union, permission may need to be sought directly from the respective rightsholders.